Yet another violent Capitol insurrectionist whom President Donald Trump pardoned has been rearrested, The Washington Post reported late Monday.
Zachary J. Alam was arrested on May 9 and charged with felony residential burglary and misdemeanor vandalism after he allegedly broke into a house in Richmond, Virginia, while the homeowners were there.
Until Jan. 20, Alam had been serving an eight-year prison sentence after he was convicted of eight felonies and three misdemeanors for his actions on Jan. 6, 2021, which included “assaulting, resisting, or impeding” Capitol Police officers.
Alam was unrepentant, with U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich giving him one of the longest prison sentences of any Jan. 6 insurrectionist because of his “lack of remorse,” The Washington Post reported in November, when he was sentenced.
On the day of his sentencing, which took place after Trump had won the 2024 election, Alam reiterated his belief that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, said he was glad Trump won again, and demanded a "full pardon" for his actions.
Trump supporters try to break through a police barrier on Jan. 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
“I will not accept a second-class pardon,” Alam said, according to The Washington Post. “I want a full pardon with all the benefits that come with it, including full compensation.”
Trump obeyed Alam’s demand, granting him and more than 1,500 other insurrectionists pardons on Jan. 20, the day he was unfortunately sworn in for a second term. Public polling has consistently found that a majority of voters oppose those pardons.
Alam is the latest person Trump pardoned for their actions on Jan. 6, 2021, to be arrested again. At least five people Trump pardoned for their roles in the insurrection have now been rearrested, including Daniel Ball, a Florida man who was arrested on federal gun charges, and Andrew Taake, who was arrested for allegedly soliciting a child for sex.
Trump also gave a $5 million windfall to the family of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed on Jan. 6, 2021, by a Capitol Police officer after she tried to break onto the House floor to stop the certification of Joe Biden's 2020 election victory.
Babbitt’s family was suing for wrongful death, which Biden’s Department of Justice was prepared to take to court. However, Trump’s administration chose to instead settle with Babbitt’s family, giving them $5 million in taxpayer money. In fact, it’s Trump himself who should have paid up since his lies about a stolen election poisoned Babbitt’s mind and led her to break into the Capitol.
Meanwhile, as Trump-pardoned Jan. 6 insurrectionists commit more crimes, Trump is not focused on keeping them off the streets but is instead arresting Democratic elected officials.
On Monday, interim U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced that she is charging Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver of New Jersey with assault and impeding law enforcement officers when she attempted to conduct oversight of an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement detention center in her state.
Trump’s FBI also arrested Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan and charged her with attempting to obstruct the deportation of a Mexican immigrant, charges she denies and is fighting.
Trump administration officials have also threatened to arrest more Democratic officials, including Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers.
Campaign Action
